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大作 (dà zuò) — (verb) to erupt, to burst forth (used of thunder, applause, volcanic activity, etc.)

Definition

大作 is a literary verb meaning 'to erupt / burst forth' — used for thunder, applause, or volcanoes. Distinct from the unrelated noun sense 'your esteemed writing' (大作 dàzuò).

verb
to eruptto burst forth (used of thunder, applause, volcanic activity, etc.)

Examples

  • 大作，。
    Léi shēng dà zuò, xià qǐ le dà yǔ.
    Thunder erupted, and heavy rain began to fall.
  • 大作，。
    Huì chǎng shàng dà zuò, huān hū shēng bú duàn.
    The venue erupted with applause and continuous cheers.
  • 大作，。
    Huǒ shān dà zuò, yán jiāng pēn yǒng ér chū.
    The volcano erupted, and magma gushed out.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

大dàgreatly
作zuòarise

大 (greatly) and 作 (arise) combine for a sudden outburst.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →
Appears in
Change & Process

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